Hello everybody!

What do you guys do when the derailleur cables routed below the bottom bracket are grinding the steel guides (and the bottom bracket itself)? It is kind of driving me nuts. Are the cables installed too tight? The bike shifts fine.

I greased the areas, but there has to be a better way.

Thank you!

You might try housing liner. I've used it with cable guides mounted above the shell but haven't tried below. I don't think it would really matter. Amazon carries Jagwire liner cheap:

Robot Check

The nearest LBS have shift cable housing liner. Just ask them .

If the cables are cutting through the metal guides and shell, any sheathing, housing or liner would have to be metallic, like the old school spiral steel cable housing.

Cable liner might work, but looking at that pic is seems like the liner might get eaten up. You could always grind down the guides, paint over it, buy a plastic guide and drill a hole for the bolt.

Thank you, @plonz & @Michael Angelo, it has crossed my mind but I feared the liner either wouldn't fit in or it will slip away from the steel guides. Now tht you tell me I wonder why I haven't tried it. Do you guys use this method? I have never seen a picture with a bottom bracket guide with cable housing liner added for protection.

Thanks again!

During the brief period where cable guides were under the bottom bracket and the old type plain steel variety, IME the plastic liner guides were always used. Usually this lining had little flanges on the ends so it would not slip out, but you could try instead very long pieces.

However, it looks a little late for that, as there is already a notch ground into the guides. I think the plastic would get stuck there.

To my eyes, it looks like the guides were badly placed by the builder of the bike. They are too far back.

Depending on the value of the bike, IMO the best solution would be to grind off the guides, touch up the paint so it doesn't rust, and install a screw on plastic cable guide. If you prefer not to alter the bike, figure out some way to run old style stainless housing over the worn out guides. Maybe fill the worn notch with epoxy 'metal' putty first. You'll probably need to secure the cable guides with a clamp of some sort.

What have you got to lose by just putting a piece of complete cable housing there and trying it? Nothing, it appears. The tension on the cable will likely keep the housing in place. It may wear out, and then you can get another one, but I'll bet it won't be in a month, or maybe even a year. $2/foot for 2 feet of good housing = $4. Take a shot.

Thank you! I'll check if the spiral steel cable fits the guides.

Oh, boy!

Great advice, thank you!

I'd skip those under the BB guides all together and install a clamp-on cable guide on the down tube.

I've put a short pieces of outer cable housing before, you need to put the end caps on them, then to stop them sliding I used strong cable ties (electric hardware shop) & banded to the bottom of the down tube, if you are lucky you can buy cable ties in different colours, I surprised there is so much tension RD & FD to cut in like as shown on your photo

Won't work since the rear derailleur guide will be in the wrong spot.

But you could use a clamp on guide for that one, too!

Okay, my aesthetics aren't exactly sophisticated.

Consider the fact that the cable wore through a very thin guide (small surface area) in what 10-15 years? the BB shell is thicker and presents a surface area 1,000's of times larger. You'll be in the grave before that cable does any serious damage.

Ride on and forgetaboutit.

I would fill in the groove already cut with JB and then run teflon liner. Shimano sells some as well as a few other companies.

The bike is a Francesco Moser 51.151 model which I find really beautiful.



I'd hate to tinker with the frame or to add ties to it. I'll try filling the slots with metal epoxy, as [MENTION=424205]Salamandrine[/MENTION] suggested, and then use steel cable housing.

Nevertheless, I wonder why would bike builders choose this method of routing, with the steel cables rubbing the bare painted metal.

I would, if the thin slots wouldn't freeze the cable from time to time. Now that I greased the area shifting got back to normal.

1-Expand the slot's "wings" or "lips" a bit with a screwdriver.
2-Get two pieces of cable housing, one with an outer housing, metal spiral liner, inner liner.
3-Cut them so they at least make a good bend, maybe 2" for the FD, 2" for the RD.
4-Put them in place and squeeze the "wings" or "lips" back onto them. Doesn't have to be that tight.
5-Get some Slick50 lube, in the red can with the long thin nozzle.
6-Use a rag, to avoid excess, and the red tube on the Slick50, Squirt a small bit of lube into each end of the housing.
7-Run your cables and adjust your derailleurs.
8-You should not see this problem again.

The bend and the wings being gently squeezed back on, and the tightness of the cable running around the bend will easily hold the housing in place. It will not move. The friction between the outside of the housing and the frame is far greater than a lubed cable going through a lined housing, and the movement of the cable is very minimal. You'll have smoother shifting. If you really want to use cable end caps, fine, but they are unnecessary. They may prevent grit from getting in there, but that's not an issue.

Sounds like the problem is solved. If it were mine, I'd open the slots in the guide with a screwdriver as RT suggested or better yet with a few strokes of a file ( just to ensure the cable doesn't bind) grease it up an go.

Thank you! I was so afraid to touch the frame that bending the little wings/lips did not cross my mind. Sure thing, they will help a lot keeping the cable in place. Provided I don't re-grease between the bottom bracket and the housing

Problem solved, indeed! Thank you, everybody!

I think we addressed this not long ago?! Anyway, the Colnago came with "crushed" cable guides. Using an awl to make them round again, allowed me to insert a liner:
~[IMG]P1000536 by superissimo_83, on Flickr[/IMG

No, it doesn't move. It stays put. I did the other cable too.

See this recent thread.

So many things to learn by posting a seemengly easy question with a common sense solution. Look what [MENTION=185430]dddd[/MENTION] said: